An honest question.

[sliminem_313]

I've been thinking about joining a local MMA school and just for kicks have been rolling with a few friends. Now, I'm 5'5 185 with huge arms and legs. Ive been able to use little technique and pure strength to submit guys with kimuras and various other arm locks.

My problem is that with these short limbs I've found the triangle and sometimes even a guillotine to be very very difficult. What I was wondering is, does anybody have any pointers to give or a new hybrid style that favors guys with shorter limbs? Seems like most of the jitz guys have such longs limbs. Thanks..

 

[armtriangle]

I've been thinking about joining a local MMA school and just for kicks have been rolling with a few friends. Now, I'm 5'5 185 with huge arms and legs. Ive been able to use little technique and pure strength to submit guys with kimuras and various other arm locks.

My problem is that with these short limbs I've found the triangle and sometimes even a guillotine to be very very difficult. What I was wondering is, does anybody have any pointers to give or a new hybrid style that favors guys with shorter limbs? Seems like most of the jitz guys have such longs limbs. Thanks..

there is more to bjj than triangle chokes. I cant do them either, even though i am 6'0. there is plenty bjj has to offer short limbed guys. bjj is 90% positioning, that gets lost when you watch it not knowing much about it.

we have a guy about your size that has a wicked guard.. you just have to be more active on bottom, which will ultimately make you more dangerous anyway

 

[sliminem_313]

Thanks.... That was one of the main reasons I havent joined that school yet. Why pay all that money for something i really cant use?

 

[Meegle818]

Thanks.... That was one of the main reasons I havent joined that school yet. Why pay all that money for something i really cant use?

you can always use BJJ...even a short and stocky guy like yourself. Get yourself to a good class and i promise you that you'll learn technique that works for you

 

[RubberRyan]

i have a friend whos 5'5 and about 190 he's a stumpy looking kid and doesnt have my experience grappling he's just a bar brawler,... but ive taken him to a few practices and he's starting to understand hip movement.

i dont know how long you've been doing it or how many guillotine/triangle attempts youve had but technique always solves the problems.

 

[Kimuralex]

Thanks.... That was one of the main reasons I havent joined that school yet. Why pay all that money for something i really cant use?

wtf? thats so dumb, theres almost no such thing as "cant do", look at matt serra, he has short limbs and he can do everything, ofcourse with his bodytype some moves come easier then others, but i heard his triangle is vicious

 

[Easto]

i have a friend whos 5'5 and about 190 he's a stumpy looking kid and doesnt have my experience grappling he's just a bar brawler,... but ive taken him to a few practices and he's starting to understand hip movement.

i dont know how long you've been doing it or how many guillotine/triangle attempts youve had but technique always solves the problems.

Exactly.
I'm 5'8", 220lbs. I am stocky.

My last two classes I have tapped guys with a triangle. The focus is hip movement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2v7GFAI_2k

Look at the 13 sec mark

 

[sliminem_313]

Exactly.
I'm 5'8", 220lbs. I am stocky.

My last two classes I have tapped guys with a triangle. The focus is hip movement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2v7GFAI_2k

Look at the 13 sec mark

I see.. that damn Dean Lister is a genius.. but my legs are still too short to wrap around and lock behind my knees. Wouldnt locking just my ankles ( as in the way Nog closed guard on the Guillotine on Sylvia) be too weak?

 

[ILGrappler]

You shouldn't join any classes until you shed your self-defeating attitude. It's not surprising that you CAN'T do a triangle with stumpy legs and the fact that you've never trained.

 

[andrewbc]

MMA, fighting, and grappling are all about finding a style that works for you. a short but strong guy might not be able to secure triangles or darce chokes like tall guys, but your body type may give you a definitive advantage in becoming a good positional grappler. as you progress in your training you will find out what works for you

 

[Courter44]

I've been thinking about joining a local MMA school and just for kicks have been rolling with a few friends. Now, I'm 5'5 185 with huge arms and legs. Ive been able to use little technique and pure strength to submit guys with kimuras and various other arm locks.

My problem is that with these short limbs I've found the triangle and sometimes even a guillotine to be very very difficult. What I was wondering is, does anybody have any pointers to give or a new hybrid style that favors guys with shorter limbs? Seems like most of the jitz guys have such longs limbs. Thanks..

There's a lot of things to learn. Shorter guys can use the tepee instead of a triangle. There is always a way buddy.

 

[alphamale]

with all respect you need to ask frodo, hes a shorter stockier guy with skills so ask him.

for my 2 cents, you can make triangle work even with a stocky build. its likely that you're not getting enough angle on your triangle so you can close it over the neck not the back.

here's a highlight of my instructor daniel lima who is only about 5 2' and he still can slap the triangl eon anyone. you'll see a real deep one in the video, notice the angle he has on it- hes basically 90 degrees to the victim.

<div><object width="420" height="336"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/xlxem&v3=1&related=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/xlxem&v3=1&related=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="336" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always"></embed></object><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xlxem_daniel-lil-devil-lima-highlight-vid_extreme">Daniel &#039;lil devil&quot; Lima highlight vid 1</a></b><br /><i>Uploaded by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/alphamalemusic">alphamalemusic</a></i></div>

 

[Ghost Dog]

my honest advice is learn the techniques. you know youre using muscle, and i can tell you youre doing triangles wrong anyway. learn these moves from experienced guys and youll do fine. its fun at first to out muscle guys.. but it will catch up to you. learn some technique my brotha.

 

[Wrestleben]

When I started I couldn't do a triangle. Now I triangle people all the time. It's all technique.

 

[TSLx89]

How can you say you can't perform a proper triangle if you've never learned the proper way to do one? If you're legs actually can't perform a triangle, thats not a problem, I'm 5'5 140 pounds with short stubby legs. As you train, you're legs will get more flexible and will eventually be able to do it comfortably. (Mine did after like a month of training).

If you're sure you want to train, go and do it. BJJ isn't limited to tall lanky guys. After you get your basics down, you will begin to develop your own game and figure out what works with a higher percentage for you. Look at Marcelo Garcia, his body isn't the stereotypical BJJ body and he's P4P the best in the world.

 

[Vedic]

"Do or do not, there is not try" Master Yoda, it goes well here

 

[BJJisFUN]

I'm 5'8", 210, with very large thighs, I too thought that I could not get triangles, I was shown that same small adjustment that Dean Lister did in that video on page one, and I was able to do them no problem. I had my partner tapping without doing anything to the head or arm locked in. You may have to do the little extra to secure the triangle, but when you do, it's gonna be super tight

 

[Aethyr]

No offense, but I've been training for over 2.5 years and I only know the tip of the iceberg about the triangle (along with every other technique). My instructors who've been training since they were 5 have incredible detailed knowledge about the triangle. They can lock and finish triangles on people, body types, defenses that I'll probably never be able to achieve.

So you, who probably read some books, watched some vids...really have no idea how to properly execute a triangle. None. If you think you do, that's a sure sign you don't.

 

[AnOddParadigm]

I trained with Marcelo, and you know what, I never saw him triangle anyone once. But he told me when he first started all he did was triangles. The issue isn't that he can't do them, it just may not be the best game. I am 5'4'' 150 lbs, and triangles are hard, but I can them against people my size, but if I am rolling with someone over 200lbs, it is near impossible to close if the guy knows the basics of defending.

The point is, no matter what size you are, you'll find a game that works for you. You should never not do something because you think you can't, but also realize perhaps it may easier to hit an omoplata rather then force a triangle choke.

 

[AnOddParadigm]

As for the original question. The consensus seems that it for us non-lanky people developing a good sweeping game is prefered over trying to get submissions from guard.